


Little pink box

by Nea



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, moustead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 06:25:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13288926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nea/pseuds/Nea
Summary: Happens after episode 302





	Little pink box

**Author's Note:**

> **Author's note:** My eternal gratitude goes to [driedflowers](http://archiveofourown.org/users/driedflowers/pseuds/driedflowers), for making this fic so much better.  
>  **Author's note 2:** pre-slash or gen, for ‘s prompt _Light_  
>  **Warnings:** Spoilers for episode 302, set between my fics [Takes one to know one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8575657) and [With a little help](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8694415), but also works on its own.  
>  **Disclaimer:** The characters aren‘t mine but Dick Wolf‘s and Co.

Mouse shuts down his laptop and looks around for his jacket, not sure if he left it in the office or in his locker. 

When he sees the little pink money box still sitting on the corner of Atwater’s desk, it knocks the wind out of him. He drops back into his chair and can’t help but stare at it – Mouse doesn’t even notice that someone’s come in, until he speaks.

"Hey, you okay?" Jay’s fingers brush Mouse’s neck lightly, before he lets his hand rest on Mouse’s shoulder.

"Yeah, I..." Mouse clears his throat and looks at Jay, who pulls a chair from behind Atwater’s desk and sits down, facing Mouse.

"This little girl... the victim’s sister...", Mouse continues quietly. "She brought this earlier." He gestures vaguely at the little box on the desk. "She offered Voight her savings as a reward to anyone who had information about who murdered her brother..." 

Mouse still sounds shaken by the scene he just described and Jay winces in sympathy, squeezing his knee. "That’s..." What? Sad? Heartbreaking? Awful? Horrible?

There are so many words, and yet he can’t find them.

"… the worst part of this job," Jay says eventually.

"And I admire all of you for doing it anyway, you know?" Mouse tells him.

"You could easily work for the CIA or make billions at Google, but you’re here instead, where most of us use computers to write reports, check emails and watch viral videos..." Jay muses. "And you’re helping us gather evidence against suspects. That’s pretty admirable, if you ask me."

"I’m good where I am right now..." There’s a small smile on Mouse’s lips. "But I want to give that back to the kid." he nods towards the pink box.

Jay nods in return. "Let’s go, then!" 

Mouse jumps to his feet, grabbing the money box, and Jay follows, picking up Mouse’s jacket, which seems to have slipped off his chair’s back and fallen to the floor.

They hurry down the stairs, almost running into Mouch, Platt’s firefighter boyfriend, who is already waiting for her to hand over her desk to the night shift. He congratulates Mouse and Jay on the good job of bringing Conner back safe and sound.

"Jay did all of that," Mouse sets clear, putting his jacket on. "I’m just a civilian employee."

"But you’re part of the team, so you’re part of the success," Mouch reminds him.

"Exactly!" Jay agrees wholeheartedly. "Always so humble, our Mouse." He puts an arm over Mouse’s shoulders, and they wish everyone a good night before making it through the door.

***

Mouse is sitting shotgun while Jay drives. The family’s home’s not far, so the silence between them is comfortable.

"So, how d’you wanna do it?" Jay asks, swallowing hard.

"Don’t stop right in front of the house," Mouse tells him. "I don’t want to bother them."

They debate what to do next: Put the box at the door, ring the bell and be out of sight by the time someone answers? Stay there and actually explain what they came for to the mourning parents?

It turns out that the family’s mailbox is big enough and the money box is flat enough to store it there safely.

The whole thing takes them three minutes and then they’re back in Jay’s car.

"Thanks for coming with me." Mouse sounds relieved, fastening his seat belt.

"Anything for my favourite civilian team member," Jay says with a soft smile. "Now, let’s grab a beer at Molly’s, okay? Will’s already waiting for us there."

"Sound good to me." Mouse smiles back. "It’s always good to see him."

"Please don’t tell him that." Jay grins. "Also, no matter how much he begs or what he offers to you, don’t tell him anything he could use against me at some point."

Mouse smirks. "Okay, my lips are sealed."

Licking his lips, Jay nods, and starts the car.


End file.
